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Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) is a landlocked state in western Africa. The country is bound to the north and west by Mali, to the south by Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, and Togo, and to the east by Benin and Niger. The capital is Ouagadougou.

After gaining independence from France in 1960, French is still Burkina Faso's official language. Following a series of coups, former President Blaise Compaoré came to power in 1987. He was forced to resign 27 years later following popular protests against his efforts to amend the country’s constitution. Following a failed coup attempt in September 2015, Roch Marc Christan Kaboré won the presidential election of November the same year.

Burkina Faso's mining sector is growing, with exports from Burkina Faso's large gold deposits accounting for nearly three quarters of export revenue. Cotton is the other commodity on which Burkina Faso’s economic growth and revenue relies. Burkina Faso has one of the lowest GDP per capita rates in the world.

The Australian High Commission in Accra, Ghana is responsible for representing Australia in Burkina Faso.